Strengthening Canada’s Legal Language Professions
We strive to enhance the visibility and recognition of legal language professions and training in Canada.
About the Alliance
(AICAPJ-CIAALLP)
In recent years, we have been excited to see the creation of four new programs designed to train legal language professionals in Canada: the Graduate Diploma in Legal Translation at McGill University (Montréal, Québec); the Legal and Court Interpreting micro-certificate at Université Sainte-Anne (Halifax, Nova Scotia); and the Formation initiale en traduction juridique concentration in the specialized bachelor’s degree in translation, and the Postbaccalauréat en traduction juridique at Université de Saint-Boniface (Winnipeg, Manitoba). The shared goal of these programs is to train the next generation of legal language professionals in Canada.
However, despite catering to different regions and clienteles, these four programs face similar challenges, the most significant being recruitment. Likewise, Canada’s legal language sector has long grappled with challenges related to recruitment and training.
These challenges stem from a deeper issue, however, namely the lack of visibility and recognition of legal language professions in Canada. To address these systemic issues—and thus mitigate the shortage of legal language professionals in Canada—the directors of these programs decided to join forces to create the Canadian Interuniversity Alliance for the Advancement of the Legal Language Professions (AICAPJ-CIAALLP). With this move, the three partner universities aim to create a collaborative and dynamic community they hope will attract other key stakeholders from the Canadian legal language sector.
What we do
Each partner institution offers specialized legal language training
The three universities offer legal translation and court interpreting programs not available anywhere else in Canada. These programs are designed to provide specialized training to current and aspiring jurists, translators, and interpreters.
The partners organize activities to promote the legal language professions
The Alliance organizes a range of training, communication, awareness, and advocacy activities that highlight the critical work of legal language professionals—the experts who operate behind the scenes to uphold language rights in Canada.
The Alliance aspires to reshape the perception of legal language professions in Canada by overcoming the obstacles hindering growth of the sector, proposing concrete and innovative solutions to common challenges, and leveraging every opportunity to raise the profile of these professions nationwide.
Are you...
…a current or aspiring legal language professional?
Follow us on LinkedIn and visit our website regularly for our latest news and activities.
…an academic institution or a legal organization?
Contact us to discuss collaboration and partnership opportunities.
…a Canadian legal language stakeholder?
Reach out to share your ideas on how to boost the status of the legal language sector in Canada.
Understanding the shortage to identify better solutions
Canada is facing a serious shortage of legal language professionals, in particular legal translators and court interpreters.
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However, the extent and details of this shortage are still unclear. Given this, more research is needed to compile reliable, accurate data on the current situation. A rigorous assessment, based on this evidence, will allow us to develop a concrete plan to strengthen and promote the professions and address the shortage effectively.
While our study on the shortage of legal language professionals in Canada is ongoing, we are pleased to present some preliminary data from a survey done as part of the study.
This survey was intended for language professionals:
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for whom legal translation or court interpreting represents at least part of their professional activities, and
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who perform at least part of these tasks for an employer or a client in Canada’s public sector.
Nearly 60%
of respondents report observing labour shortages in the legal translation and court interpreting sectors.
Nearly 60%
of respondents who dedicate at least half of their time to legal translation or court interpreting express a high level of job satisfaction.
More than 60%
of respondents who dedicate at least half of their time to legal translation or court interpreting report that they would be somewhat or very likely to recommend these professions as a career choice or career transition opportunity.
Members of the Alliance
Université Sainte-Anne
The Legal and Court Interpreting micro-certificate offered by Université Sainte-Anne is a practical, 10-week program that covers the essentials for those working in legal and court interpreting. Lectures are supplemented by discussions, assignments, a component on industry ethics as well as presentations, roleplay and simulations based on realistic situations.
Université de Saint-Boniface
The Formation initiale en traduction juridique concentration, offered as part of the bachelor’s degree in translation, and the Postbaccalauréat en traduction juridique at Université de Saint-Boniface include courses on legal culture and specialized legal translation. These programs are designed to equip students with both theoretical knowledge and practical experience.
McGill University
The Graduate Diploma in Legal Translation at McGill University is a graduate program designed to meet the need for legal translators and legal language professionals in Canada. These experts provide a variety of services, including translation, revision, co-drafting of legal texts, and legal language consulting, in a variety of professional settings.
Get in Touch
Considering a career in Canada’s vast legal language sector but not sure where to start?
Interested in exploring collaboration and partnership opportunities or sharing your ideas to help raise the profile of Canada’s legal language sector?
Reach out to get the conversation started!